Automatic switch for telephones



(No Model.) 2 Sheets- Sheet; 1.

' J. B. ODELL.

AUTOMATIC SWITCH FOR TELEPHONES.

No. 253,941. Patented Peb.21,1882.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFreE.

JOHN B. ODELL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC SW-ITCH FOR TELEPHONES.

SPECIFICATION forming' part of Letters Patent No. 253,941, dated February 21, 1882,

Application filed August 8, 1881.

(No model.)

springswitch-bar b, the lower extremity of To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN B. ODELL, of Ohicago,-Cook county, State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Switches for Telephones, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my present invention is to provide a cheap and simple automatic switch by means of which the telephone and microphone will be cut out and the ringer putin communication when the telephone is hung up, and the telephone and microphone put in communication and the ringer cutout when the telephone is taken down for use, and by which, also, either one of the line-wires maybe cut out when it is desired to speak secretly over the other linewire; and myinvention consists in a couple of yoke-shaped jaws, constituting the telephoneholder, one of which is pivoted to the other and provided with an arm which operates a spring switch-bar to make and break certain circuits when the telephone presses the jaws apart, and certain other circuits when the telephone is removed from the holdingjaws, so as to permit them to spring together.

'My invention will be more fully understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, in which-- Figure l is a front elevation of a device embodying my invention, a portion of the lid of the telephone-box being broken away. Figs. 2 and 3 are side elevations, looking from opposite sides of the box. Fig. 4 is a plan or top view; and Fig. 5, a diagram showing the arrangement of circuits. A

In the drawings similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

A represents the telephone-box, and A the crank of the magneto-electric generator of the ringer, and A the bell.

B and B are the yoke-shaped jaws by and between which the telephone is supported when not in use. ThejawBprojects through a notch in the left-hand side of the box, and its end is bent down and secured tothe box by screws a. Thejaw B is pivoted to thejaw B by the screw or bolt a, and is provided with an arm, 1), extending horizontally parallel to the side of the box, the end of which arm presses against the upper extremity of the which is secured to the side of the box by the screw b.

b is a spring inserted between the switch- .bar and the box to press the switch-bar out against the arm I). 4

The switch-bar b is provided with two insulated contact points or plates, 1) and b arranged at an angle to each other, so as together to constitute a wedge. are insulated from the switch-bar and from each other by means of the angular piece of vulcanite b secured to the switch-bar, and these contact-plates are connected with wires a and a leading to the telephone 0 and microphone O.

I)" and b are two contact-plates connected with the line-wires a and a arranged at an angle similar to that of the plates 12 and b and just back of said plates, so that when theswitch-bar is allowed to spring out the plates 11 and b will make connection with b and b respectively, and at the same time cause the contact-plates b and b to separate at their edges and break the connection between them. The plates 1) and b are secured. to or form part of two springs, b and b", respectively, which are attached to the back of the telephone-box. When the contact plate I) is pressed out so as to break its connection within contact with either the strips I) or b as desired. The contact-maker (Z is connected with The plates 11 and b v the ground by a wire, a", connected with the tion shown in the drawings, when the circuitwill be in over the east line, a for example, to contact-plate b plate b and out over the wire a through the ringer, thus providing for the ringing of the bell while the telephone and microphone are cut out, as the contact-plates b and b have at this time no connection with b and b". When the telephone is removed from the holder, so that the jaws can be pressed toward each other, the spring 22 forces the switch-bar 12 out, causing the contact-plates b and b to make connection with b" and b, respectively, to break connection between I)" and b and to make connection between D and I), when the circuit will be in, for example, over the east line, 11 to contact-plates b 1), wire a and a through telephone and microphone, to contact I) b I), through short circuit-wire a to the west main wire, a.

If it is desired to cut out the west main wire, a, so as to have secret communication over the east line, the crank d is turned so as to bring the T-shapcd contact (I in connection with the spring-strip b and thus afford a ground thron gh the wire a, and thereby cut out the westline. By swinging the crank d in the opposite direction the east line may be cut out when desired.

When the telephone is notin use and pressed between the yoke-shaped jaws the spring-strips b N springing towards each other will cause the T-shaped contact-maker d and its crank d to assume the position shown in the drawings, and thus break the connection between d and d or d and put both the line-wires in connection with the ringer, if in using the telephone .the operator should by chance have left said if preferred. And I have shown a separate spring for actuating the switch-bar. If desired, the switch-bar may be made in the form of a spring and no other spring be used.

I claim- 1. The combination, with the spring switchbar,provided with two insulated contact-plates, of two movable contact-plates and contact-strip I), arranged and adapted, substantiallyas described, so that when said switch-bar is moved to make connection between said insulated and said movable contact-plates the connection between said movable contact-plates will be broken and connection made between one of said movable contact-plates and contact-strip b, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, with spring switch-bar provided with insulated contact-plates b and b connected with the local telephonic circuit, of the movable contact-plates Z) and b, connected with the main-line wires, contact-strip b, connected with the short circuit for shunting the ringer, and a pair of pivoted yokeshaped jaws for holding the telephone, one of said jaws being provided with an arm for operatin g the switch-bar, substantially as specified.

3. The means ofcutting out either ofthe linewires for the purpose of holding secret communication over the other line-wire, consisting in the combination of pivoted contact-maker d, spring-strips b 1) connected with the linewires, crank 01*, and stops d d, connected with the ground, whereby when either of said sprin gstrips 1) or 11" are in connection with the telephone the other line-wire may be grounded by turning said crank to the right or left until it comes in contact with the stop (1 or d and whereby when the telephone is not in such connection the contact between said crank and the stop (1 or d is automatically broken and both lines putin communicationwith theringer, substantially as set forth.

JOHN B. ODELL.

Witnesses H. M. MUNDAY, EDMUND ADCOCK. 

